These different pieces of data allowed us to learn more about how much methane is being released as the glacier melts.
My favorite part of the research process is going out "into the field," or going outside to collect observations, measurements or samples. However, before going out in the field you need to make sure you have all the right gear.
The weather on Svalbard can vary a lot, so the first thing you need to gather is proper clothing. I usually wore work pants and a comfy shirt, a sweater, a warm jacket and a hat. I always made sure to bring some extra layers, especially a rain jacket, rain pants and extra socks.
Once you have all the right layers, you can gather all the scientific equipment you need. I usually brought a couple plastic bottles to collect my water samples. I’d also bring some filtering gear to remove some of the dirt from the water samples. In order to look at the water quality, I needed to bring a small thermometer and another device called an “electric conductivity meter,” which basically measures very small particles in the water. Finally, I brought equipment to measure the discharge of the river, or how much water is moving through the river at any given time. My backpack could be pretty heavy, but I always found space for everything.
One part of the field work that was simultaneously very fun but very exhausting was just getting to the site. First, we had to drive about ten minutes outside of the main town. Then, we faced a two-hour walk. The first part of the hike was across the muddy, squishy tundra. The next part of the hike was a river crossing.
